Is World Peace Just A Dream?

So many people scoff at the concept of world peace, and frankly, I can understand where they are coming from, but only to a certain degree. If human beings are intrinsically selfish and aggressive by nature, I could understand this, but are we, truly?

We are all homo sapiens sapiens: this is the proper name for our species, but most people are familiar with the phrase “homosapien.” Whatever term you use, what sets us apart from other mammals (as far as we know--I have serious suspicions about dolphins by the way) is the ability to regularly reflect on our actions… and then change our future behavior. Granted, many of us may choose not to indulge this proclivity (or don’t bother to), but it still sleeps within us, and it can still be passed on to our descendents.

[some of the lyrics]

And you're Homosapien too
And I'm Homosapien like you
And we're Homosapien too

And I think of your eyes in the dark and I see the star
And I look to the light and I might wonder right where you are
All the gods in the sky way up high see the world spinning round
But the sun and the moon and the stars are so far from the ground...

And the worlds built of age are a stage where we act out our lives
And the words in the script seem to fit ‘cept we have some surprise
I just want this to last or my future is past and all gone
And if this is the case then I’ll lose in life’s race from now on…

And I just hope and pray that the day of our love is at hand
You and I, me and you, we will be one from two, understand?
And the world is so wrong that I hope that we’ll be strong enough
For we are on our own and the only thing known is our love
I don’t wanna classify you like an animal in the zoo
But it seems good to me to know that you’re homosapien too

This is the Information Age. More human beings across the planet have constant access to what is happening all over the world. This global immediacy creates a greater sense of unity, making world peace more achievable than ever before in human history.

The first time I ever truly felt a greater connection to a large group of people was in the 1980s…

On May 25^th, 1986, I participated in Hands Across America with my parents, my two brothers, and two sisters (my baby brother in a carrier on my oldest brother’s back). Over the years, the memory comes back to me from time to time. It was a beautiful day in Ohio, people were laughing, talking with complete strangers, playing impromptu games of crack the whip (though careful of those too young or frail to move quickly).

About seven million people across the USA came together on a specific day and time, for no other reason than to help others and show their willingness to commit to something larger than themselves. But, because the event raised less than half of its 50 million dollar goal, it was deemed a “failure” by many critics. Also, because the event was initially conceived as a literal link across the country’s mainland, some protested the event because their states were not included (or could not be physically included, in the case of Hawaii).

And yes, *sigh*, there was no actual unbroken chain of people across the whole country, but reports claim there were enough people participating to span the country from the east to the west coast. Are we so damnably simple-minded we must constantly elevate the literal over the symbolic? The fact over the idea, the so-called “reality” over the ideal?

However, according to USA for Africa (who was also behind the “We Are The World”—see video to right), this event is still “[c]onsidered the largest community participation effort in our nation's history.” And a year later, in 1987, they completed “the distribution of 20 million dollars to 1651 organizations in all 50 U.S. states.”

23 years later, we still haven’t solved the problem of hunger or homelessness in the US, Africa, or other parts of the world (not by a long shot). But does that mean we shouldn’t keep striving to do so? Or hoping it’s possible?

Was Hands Across America just part of a trend, as indicated here, similar to Live Aid and Farm Aid? Was it simply too commercialized to really mean anything? The fact that people could enjoy raising money to help the hungry and the homeless by singing and holding hands was deemed inappropriate and frivolous by some: as if fundraising should only be done with a serious face, and a somber mind…

I guess it really depends on your definition of unity, or “world peace” (for surely the latter cannot exist without the former). Yes, we are human beings: we are not perfect, we will disagree, and fight with each other. But can’t we pick better battles? Certainly uniting in mass efforts to promote awareness of social problems and injustice is a step toward a more peaceful world. Do we have to be as selfish and power-hungry within our own countries, political parties, religions (etc.) as we have been in the past?

A century ago it would take weeks, perhaps months, to hear about things that happened in other parts of the world (well, for those who had newspapers, and “world” news was highly selective). Now you can log onto a computer almost anywhere in the world (assuming you have internet access) and not only know what’s happened in various parts of the world, but you can communicate directly with people all over the world.

Children and younger people may take this ability for granted, but I’m old enough to still find it somewhat wondrous (and yes, even magical) that I can be on my computer (or near my phone) and see a “tweet” someone just sent from the other side of the world. Yes, it may simply be what he/she had for dinner, but it might also be a quote, video, or an article that makes me laugh with joy, or weep for sorrow (or both). Either way, humanity is constantly coming closer together, no matter how far away we may be physically (or psychologically)…

Start with yourself. How often do you smile at complete strangers you pass by on the street, actually say “Thank you” to a store clerk who helps you, a taxi or bus driver who gets you where you need to go? I recently realized I have a tendency not to meet the eyes of strangers in situations like these. Now I make more of an effort to look at people, to thank them, to assist someone who drops something, or answer a question if I can.

Do you purposely avoid meeting the eyes of or speaking to people who seem to fit a certain stereotype? People who appear to be of a certain race, religion, sexual orientation, or people who just dress differently from you--have lots of tattoos, facial jewelry, blue hair… Why? What are you afraid of? That they might turn out to be nice people that you actually have something in common with? But you already do have something in common with them… homo sapiens sapiens.

You know what I’ve discovered? Being actively nice to people you meet in daily life (or even on the internet) makes you feel nicer, it makes you happier. Yes, I can be sarcastic, impudent, and impatient sometimes (even a lot of times on certain days or in certain situations), but I continue to make the effort to be more pleasant, especially when I really don’t want to.

Just imagine the possibilities of people en masse being more helpful to others on a daily basis. Because, frankly, I’d rather live my life in optimism and die with a hopeful heart, then live bitter and cynical, and die with a curse on my lips…

Imagine there's no Heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace

You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one
Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world

You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one

 http://hubpages.com/forum/topic/14635